Heart of a Tiger
by Desty-Kalit
Summary: In a fantasy world of Southeast Asia, war has engulfed the nations in the struggle for power. When a young girl Mei Lin (Taiwan) loses the one she loves to the enemy. She will do anything to get him back. Even if she unintentionally changes the tides of war in her mission to save the man she loves.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there and welcome to this little story of mine. Before you begin there are some things I must note about it. This story takes place in sort of an alternate universe of the world we know. The landscape is not quite the same in the nations that will be included here. There will be several names of actual places that are not the same setup here. Also the Hetalia characters are all humans in this story. I hope you enjoy it.**

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Women do not fight battles; that is a man's job, as it has been for years. Despite that there is a fighting spirit in most women. Some just do not realize it is there. They forever believe that they are weak and must rely on men to do everything. While others know it fully well what they could be capable of. When they do realize that, the things they are capable of can be just as impressive as any man's deeds. In this particular world, nations vie for power or fight to exist. Our story begins in the Kingdom of Taiwan, in a village known as Chung-li.

Mei Lin had always been an independent girl. She had always felt the need to do things her own way. Of course she would do what she had to, to support her family in anyway possible. On the other hand she was also rebellious.

When she was young she would tend to pick fights with the village boys. She never liked how they would pick on other young girls. Her mother would reprimand her for her rashness afterwards, and it would accompany having to fix Mei's clothes in some way. The other girls found her behavior as rather strange and so tended to avoid her

Later the fights went away as Mei grew up and her body matured. Now most of those same boys tried to vie for her affections. She never wanted anything to do with any of them though. None of them captured her interest. Her parents though, kept reminding Mei that she was about old enough to marry and she should at least try to consider at least one of those boys. Her usual response was, "never in a thousand years". Her parents were dismayed at her stubbornness and would constantly remind her about how improper she was being. She did not care. Why should she? It felt much more free to be on her own anyway. She did not need anyone.

Mei had been wandering around in the forest. A bow was clutched in her hand and a bag of arrows were slung over her shoulder. She was looking for game to bring down. No one knew she was out here. Her parents would scold her severely if they ever found out she hunted.

She was waiting in the bushes for the possibility that perhaps some sort of animal would come by. She pushed a stray strand of long dark brown hair out of her face. That strand of hair would always stick out no matter what she did with it, but she did not want to cut it.

Then she heard it, the footsteps of some hooved animal. She readied an arrow and aimed. Her golden brown eyes strained with focus. She saw the wild boar poke its head out, then the arrow went flying right into the base of its neck. The boar's body twitched. Mei withdrew a dagger from a sheath tied to her waist and approached the convulsing animal. She stabbed the dagger into its heart and it lay still. A smile came to her face as she silently cheered about her success. She slung the boar's limp body over her shoulder and strode back into the village.

No one knew it was Mei who carried a wild boar through the town, she had always made sure to keep her face hidden and she would disguise herself as a boy. Mei approached the shop of her destination. The shop owner seemed surprised at the quality of the game this time.

"That's a good one you have there this time." The shopkeeper said.

"Well, we will see how good you think it truly is. So what's your price?" Mei asked making sure to deepen her voice.

The shopkeeper examined the boar closely. It was excellent quality all right. The shopkeeper estimated a reasonable price that Mei agreed to. As Mei took her money and turned to leave, the shopkeeper called out to her.

"You know Mei, there is going to be a day your family will find out about all this." He warned her.

"Don't worry, I'll be long gone by then." Mei said slyly as she left.

Mei pocketed her money as she was outside. On the streets everyone was going about their daily routine. Mei walked past a group of young girls talking about something. She walked right past them not the least bit interested in their conversation. The most she caught of it was the word, foreigners. Mei was pleased that she was one step closer to finally getting out of the village and she could be on her own for once.

Mei snuck into her home and into her room. She took off her clothes and washed any of the forest grime off her body. She smoothed out her hair and changed into a pink, white, and gold trimmed qipao and pinned a couple of pink flowers to her hair. It was not long till her mother came into her room with a concerned look on her face.

"Where have you been Mei?" Her mother interrogated.

"Around." Mei said.

Her mother shook her head in disbelief of her daughter's disrespect. She did not want to scold her at the moment there were better things that needed to be done. Mei's mother asked Mei if she could get some vegetables from the market. Every man in the house was away and someone had to get vegetables. Mei agreed hesitantly, at least the chore would get her out of the house for a while longer. Mei took a basket and a bag of money from her mother. She left and was planning on how long she could procrastinate till she got back home again.

In the village there was a lot of commotion going on. Apparently there was a camp of soldiers right outside the village. They were not enemy soldiers; in fact they were allies. The camp was made up of a few troops from two other nations and Mei's own. Lately a powerful empire was attempting to expand its borders and take down any nation that stood in its way. As a result the military of other nations had been working together to prevent the destruction of all the nations, including the small Kingdom of Taiwan. None of this concerned Mei in any way. It did not matter to her; she never had known truly what a threat some powers could be.

As Mei finished up her purchases from the vendors in the marketplace she heard a group of people talking about something. Mei turned to see a couple of soldiers both in different styled armor, and it was not from the military of Taiwan.

Everyone seemed to be making a big deal out of their presence, especially all the young girls. Mei could see why though, the two of them were quite good looking.

Mei paid them no mind and stood around looking bored. On the other hand the two foreign soldiers certainly noticed her.

"Hey Honda, look at that girl over there." The taller of the two said, whose name was Im Yong Soo.

"This is no time to be womanizing Im." Kiku Honda said.

"But what else is there to look at besides girls?" Yong Soo asked.

Kiku looked at the girl Yong Soo was pointing at.

"What about her?" Kiku asked.

"She seems interesting, not to mention attractive." Yong Soo commented.

"If you think that why don't you go talk to her."

"No you; you should loosen up a bit anyway Honda."

Yong Soo nudged Kiku towards the girl. He knew that Yong Soo was not going to let up anytime soon. Kiku hesitantly approached the girl that had made him curious.

"Excuse me?" Kiku said shyly.

Mei looked up and noticed that one of the soldiers was right next to her. As she had noticed from a distance, he indeed had a handsome face but he had brown eyes that had a dull light about them. His black hair was cut to where it framed his face.

"What do you want?" Mei asked with an annoyed hint to her voice.

Kiku was taken aback by her rudeness, but he troubled himself to go talk to her and he was not going to let his time get wasted. Kiku looked back at Yong Soo who was grinning at him. Kiku sighed and turned back to the girl.

"I'm truly sorry about bothering you, but I just wanted to greet you that is all." Kiku said politely.

Mei's interest was peaked slightly. Usually boys would turn away when she talked to them rudely, but this one seemed to be holding his ground. Well he was a soldier after all.

"What's your name?" Mei asked.

"Honda Kiku." Kiku replied, "And yours?"

"Lin Mei." Mei answered.

"That's a lovely name." Kiku commented.

Mei turned away to hide the pinkish tinge appearing on her cheeks. They stood silently for a short time till Kiku decided that he should get going soon.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Lin, perhaps I will see you around." Kiku said.

He turned to leave and as he walked away Mei watched him. He interested her; perhaps she could take the time to get to know him more. It did not hurt to try.

Later that evening, Mei was sat down with her family for dinner. As usual it was a rather silent affair. Mei wanted to ask about the troops camped outside the village.

"By the way have you heard about those soldiers on the outskirts?" Mei asked.

Her parents seemed surprised she had said something. Usually she would not talk unless someone spoke to her during meals.

"Well they have set up training grounds over there. The soldiers there are currently on standby, but with the war going as smoothly as it is, chances are it will be awhile before they are called to duty." Mei's father explained.

"I see." Mei said, looking down at a cup of tea she had been holding.

"Did something happen?" Her father asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Mei said quickly then taking a sip of tea.

She soon excused herself and got up from her place. She heard her parents talking with concerned voices about her seemingly odd behavior. She paid them no mind.

When Mei was on the brink of sleep a thought came to her. She wanted to see that Honda Kiku again. It was a silly idea at first, but there was something about him that intrigued her.

The next morning Mei got up earlier than usual. She did not know why she was awoken so early, but she was up now. She stretched her arms to get the stiffness out and proceeded to pull herself up. Mei got herself presentable and snuck out. No one had been awake but her.

The edge of town came closer and closer as she approached it. When she got close enough she could see the rows on rows of white tents sprawled out. To no surprise there was already activity going on within the encampment. Three types of armor could be seen on all the soldiers. One was what she recognized as Taiwan's own armor. From the looks of it they were in the middle of some sort of training session. Mei got herself out of sight on an overhanging branch of a tree and proceeded to watch them. When they finally finished their exercise, they staggered off looking exhausted. That was when she spotted the man she had met yesterday. She watched him get fairly close to her hiding spot. He leaned up against a tree doing his best to continue standing up straight. His face glistened with sweat and his hair was slightly damp. Mei watched him out of curiosity, until she realized he was looking directly in her direction.

"What are you doing here?" Kiku asked. He was slightly startled seeing the girl he saw yesterday in a tree.

"None of your business!" Mei said. She looked away trying to hide her embarrassment. Kiku could not believe how rude her tone was. Since he was on a break he sucked it up and decided to climb up the tree next to her. Mei immediately became flustered by this and scooted away from him. Kiku was the first to break the silence.

"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking?" Kiku asked once again.

"I was just curious about this place, that's all." Mei said, dropping the rudeness she had earlier.

"I see."

That's when a voice spoke up from below the branch.

"Hey Honda, this is no time to be womanizing." Yong Soo said mockingly before bursting out into laughter.

"That's not what I was doing." Kiku said in denial.

"Sure you weren't" Yong Soo said sarcastically. Kiku sighed and climbed down the tree. He looked up at Mei and said his farewells.

"Perhaps we could do something like this again sometime." Kiku said as he walked off with Yong Soo to the encampment.

As Mei watched Kiku walk away she started to notice she was feeling something odd. What was this feeling? She had barely gotten to know Kiku. That was when she made the decision to get to know him more.

Not long after that they met once again. This time they got the opportunity to talk to each other. It was during a cloudy evening. Kiku had been roaming a line of vendors selling their goods. That was when he ran into that girl again. This time however she was the first to talk.

"Hello Honda." Mei said as she bowed in greeting. Kiku felt a small smile stretch his face.

"And hello to you Lin." Kiku said as he to bowed.

"What a coincidence to run into you again." Mei said cheerfully. Kiku could not help but notice how nice she was acting this time. He preferred it this way though. The two found a quieter setting near the edge of town to sit together.

"I'll be honest, I'm not really supposed to be wandering off. I was curious though about a foreign town." Kiku admitted.

"Where are you from?" Mei asked him.

"I come from Japan. It was my father's idea for me to join the army when the wars started to break out. He got disabled in a battle so ever since he felt he had dishonored the family. So when the opportunity arose he chose me as the eldest son to redeem that dishonor." Kiku told Mei. She listened intently, interested in his story.

"How do you feel about it though?" Mei asked.

"I'm perfectly fine with it. I find it a great honor to be able to protect others and my country." Kiku said with pride. Mei glanced at Kiku she felt a small feeling of admiration for his willingness to partake in such a brutal thing like the army.

"I must be going now, before someone notices I'm gone. Farewell again Lin." Kiku said as he got up and walked out of sight. As before Mei watched him go, that feeling was back again. Still she could not figure out what it was. Of course destiny had it that the two of them would run into each other over and over again, and every time Mei found that feeling she felt before grow some more. Kiku himself was also starting to feel something stir within him. Every time they met up during their free time, they would talk. Till eventually the feeling had bloomed into something big. It was called love, and they were wanting to so desperately tell one another those special words. Then at long last those words were shared. It was when the sun was beginning to set in the sky and at a place near the green shrubbery of the woods. Kiku had invited Mei here. She wondered what it could be, but her hopes were not raised too high. Kiku was running late, making Mei a little irritated. He finally showed up and Mei felt her irritation ebb away.

"I do apologize that I'm late." Kiku said as he bowed to her.

"It's alright, but what is it you want anyway?" Mei asked in curiosity.

"Well there is something of importance I must say." Kiku said. Mei noticed that his cheeks were tinged with red.

"Mei..." Kiku began. Mei could not believe it, he said her first name, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I've been considering it for some time, but I feel that you may just be very special to me." Kiku continued.

"What are you saying?" Mei asked, her heart was beating a little faster.

"Mei I want to say that... I love you, and I want to ask for your hand in marriage." Kiku said his face now bright red. Mei gasped in shock; her own face was starting to flush. Kiku looked nervous at her hesitation to answer.

"I-I, this is all so sudden, but... Kiku I believe I love you too." Mei said as a gentle smile came to her face. Kiku hugged her in a tight embrace. He was overfilled with happiness, as was Mei. She embraced him back and then she did something she did not expect herself to do. She tugged Kiku's face closer to hers and she planted her lips on his in a kiss. Kiku was taken aback at the unusual contact at first, but he soon lost himself to the warmth it brought him. They stood like that for some time before pulling away to breath.

"Perhaps it is time for you to meet my family." Mei said still a bit overwhelmed by all this. "They will be more than happy to meet you."

Mei tugged at Kiku's hand and pulled him into the village and in the direction of Mei's home. Mei had in fact been telling her parents about Kiku, and they themselves had indeed said they had wanted to meet the young man.

They arrived at Mei's home and she announced her arrival. Her mother was the first to greet them. Mei's mother was interested in the young man her daughter had brought with her. She left them at a table where they sat in silence, as she went to brew tea. Mei's father heard a new voice and came to see who the guest was. He was surprised to see it was the man that appeared to match Mei's description that he had been told about.

"It's good to finally meet the man my daughter has spoken so highly of." Mei's father said. Kiku stood up and bowed in politeness.

"It's an honor to meet you sir." Kiku said. At that moment Mei's mother came back with a tray of tea and placed it front of those seated.

"Now I'm sure there is an important reason that you came here." Mei's father said.

"I have come here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." Kiku said his back straight, as he looked as confident as he possibly could. A big grin came to Mei's fathers face.

"Finally!" He said as he laughed a bit, "From what I have heard I think it is reasonable enough you are worthy of my daughter. You have my blessing."

Kiku and Mei's faces lit up even more and the clasped one another's hand.

"Thank you father." Mei said.

"Yes, thank you sir." Kiku said.

Mei's parents exchanged smiles with one another. They were both genuinely happy for their daughter. There was one last obstacle standing in the way of a true happy life together. There was still a war going on and Kiku was going to have to go into battle at some point. Shortly after Kiku had made his proposal to Mei that call to duty finally came. The war had made another turning point and many troops had been lost to the enemy troops. Now the troops who had been training recruits were being called to the battlefield. When he first heard the news Kiku's reality came crashing back to him. He had been so preoccupied with love; he had almost forgotten what he had come to that nation in the first place. How was he going to tell her? Most likely a straight answer would be the wisest choice. When Kiku did finally tell Mei, she ended up bursting into uncontrollable tears. She had always feared deep within her heart this was most likely going to happen. Now that it had, it was unbearable. Kiku reassured her that he would be back, no matter how long it took.

Right before the troops outside Chun-li were clearing out, Mei met up with Kiku one last time. She held out a good luck charm to him.

"Here, I want you to take it with you." Mei insisted.

"Thank you Mei." Kiku said with a sad smile. He took the charm from Mei's hands and tucked it away in a safe place.

"I will miss you." Mei said.

"As will I, but I swear that I will survive no matter what. When I come back I'm going to make you the happiest bride there ever was." Kiku promised. He leaned down and kissed Mei a kiss of farewell. They stayed close as long as they could till Kiku pulled away and walked out of Mei's sight. Tears trickled down Mei's cheeks. She did not want him to go. Why did she have to fall in love with a soldier?

Mei returned home with a heavy heart. She ignored her parents who were concerned. They themselves were upset about the news. The wedding was going to have to be held off for a long time to come.

As Kiku sat on a horse following behind the others in line, he pulled out the charm and gazed at it with a distant look. To him it was now a dear treasure.

"You're one smooth worker you know that?" Yong Soo teased him. "I can't believe you're engaged to a foreign girl. Sounds like something from a romantic tale."

Kiku ignored Yong Soo's remarks and put away the charm. It took some time till the troops came close enough to the edge of the battles. Kiku fought bravely in every minor conflict they had come across. Every night after an exhausting day after another Kiku would pray that nothing too dangerous would befall them and for the well being of his bride to be.

It was a night that seemed relatively peaceful. It was almost a romantic sort of setting. The full moon covered everything in its light. The encampment had been temporarily set up in a field. Large rocks that had ended up concealed the army. Kiku had just finished with his nightly prayers when he heard a cry of alarm. Soon after that cry the entire encampment had gone up in chaos. Kiku seized his sword and found a group of enemies. With Yong Soo at his side the two finished off the group they faced. After hours had passed the conflict had died down and a relaxed setting came down upon the encampment once again. There was dead strewn across the grassy ground staining the green blades of grass red. Kiku stood on shaky legs trying to catch his breath. He was covered in blood from the men he had cut down, his black hair rustled up. He stood up straight when he heard a whizz of an arrow. Briefly he saw it heading straight towards him, his brown eyes widened in shock. He gasped in pain as the wicked arrow pierced his flesh.

"Honda!" Yong Soo cried out.

Mei had just finished yet another one of her hunting trips. The most she had caught had been a couple of birds. Missing and worrying about Kiku had thrown her off. She counted her money, it did not matter anymore however. One day she would be off with her to be husband. It seemed silly now, the idea she had once had to travel away. She let out a heavy sigh as she finished counting and hid away the coins. It had been almost a month now since Kiku had gone off to battle. Her parents had not said much about the whole affair. Fortunately they were patient to wait for Mei to get married to Kiku. Once he came back that is. Mei began messing with the pink flowers pinned in her hair. She adjusted them to make sure that they were in place. Pleased with their position, she wandered to watch the sunset. The back of her house had a view of the mountains. The sunset that accented at this time of day was absolutely spectacular. Mei did something she did not usually do. She clasped her hands together, shut her eyes and prayed. This was something she had started but recently. She hoped that it would bring Kiku back to her safely. When she finished her prayer she watched the sky's colors change from a brilliant orange and pink to a dark dimming blue. Mei wandered back within her home. Her mother who wore a solemn face met her.

"What's wrong mother?" Mei asked in concern.

"There is something your father needs to tell you." Mei's mother said sadly. Mei felt her stomach flutter with anxiety. She followed her mother to her father's location.

"Please sit down." Mei's father said. His voice also carried a sad tone to it. Mei obeyed and waited nervously. "We received a message today, it's about Honda Kiku." Mei's father paused, and took a deep breath, "I am afraid that he was killed in battle recently. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but he's dead."

Mei shook and slipped from her seat, her whole body was weak from shock. No, this could not be. He could not be dead! It had to be a lie Kiku had promised her he would come back safely. Why? Why did this happen. Mei cried and cried and whispered his name within her wracking sobs. "Kiku."

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**Well I can only hope this was to your liking and I shall make a few more notes here. As custom for most Asian nations in the east, they will refer to one another by their last names. One thing I'd like to mention is that Honda Kiku and Im Yong Soo are friends as you could tell. Though neither would dare refer to each other by their first names, due to the fact they only recently had become friendly prior to the story. **

**I did read on Taiwan's character profile and it stated she a bit of a smart mouth. That is why she comes off as rude to others. Due to the fact there is not too much on her character profile I came up with other character traits.**

**See ya next chapter and reviews would be most appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

A young man trudged through the darkened forest. Leaves fell on him, sticking, and his brown hair had a ragged appearance. He had come a long way and was not about to stop, despite the injuries that agitated him. Originally he had been on horseback, but the horse had collapsed some time ago from its own wounds. He limped determinedly onward towards his destination. He had to get help, even if the source of help seemed like an absurd idea. He had no choice. He had had plenty of time to debate with himself in the course of his agonizing hike and it was the least he could do after fleeing dishonorably. No matter what Im Yong Soo had to get help no matter whom it came from.

Mei lay in her room listlessly. It was nothing new, this is how she had spent the past days. Her promise of a new future had been crushed. Now what was left to look forward to? A knock resounded outside her room.

"I'm going to set your dinner by your door." came her mother's voice from beyond the closed door. Mei listened to her mother's footsteps fade away. She let a few minutes past before she emerged from her room and picked up the tray outside. It was no use to eat. All she could manage was a few bites before setting the tray back outside. How long would she feel like this? Perhaps she would never recover and spend the rest of her days in solitude. She hated feeling like this. It was torture.

On no day in particular, Mei finally had decided enough was enough. That morning, after reflecting throughout the night, Mei had come to the decision of getting back into her regular routine. Her heart may never mend, but she could not stand another day of doing nothing but wallow in her depression. For the first time in days she ventured outside. The sun hurt her eyes at first, but she adjusted eventually. Mei glimpsed sight of her mother who apparently had been watching her. She felt sorry for having made her parents worry about her. Despite giving them a hard time, she did care about them. They were her family after all. Mei stretched out her stiff limbs as she got use to walking on the rocky surface of her family's garden pathway. She realized she missed the feeling of being outside. A tiny songbird chirped somewhere nearby and a gentle breeze flowed through the branches of a large plum tree. Mei seated herself beneath the plum tree and closed her eyes, letting the sounds of nature sooth her. Maybe this is what she should have done instead of locking herself away from the world. The world's decision on fate may have been cruel to her, but it partially made up for it in the beauty it provided.

After her excursion in the garden, Mei decided to converse with her parents, not wanting them to worry any longer. She found them talking to one another in a sitting room. They grew quiet when they noticed her.

"Nuer, are you doing better?" Mei's mother asked.

"I am."

"That's great news, we were concerned about you."

"I'm sorry to have made you worry, but trust me, I'm fine now."

Mei let a reassuring smile appear on her demeanor. Her parents seemed satisfied of her improved emotional state. Mei left the room and decided she would wander into town. Being with others would be a comfort much needed. Mei went into her room and made herself presentable for going out. She took a small bag and a small sum of money.

As usual people on the streets were chatting about this and that. Mei passed by a group of those girls who always seemed to converge in that particular spot. When she had walked by them she could hear them whispering and picked out her name in their secret conversation. Gossip had spread as it usually did with them. It did not concern Mei however; let them think what they wanted. She could feel that spring in her step as she glanced around her surroundings. It was as if everything was becoming normal once more. She reckoned that she should start hunting once again. Then she could save up more money, and convert back to her original plan. Could she simply forget all the time she had spent with him? Could she possibly forget Honda Kiku?

A familiar voice tore her away from her inversion.

"Please, surely you can spare a few men. It's urgent!" said Im Yong Soo. His arguments with the guards of the lord of Chung-li were getting nowhere. One of the lord's guards laughed at his insistent request at his expense.

"You expect a small town to provide men? Ha! What a laugh." Mocked the man. Yong Soo could feel his temper rising.

"Get lost boy and tend to those injuries of yours. Quit wasting our time with ridiculous pleas for more troops. This village has provided enough." The guard said as he pushed Yong Soo aside and strode past him with his companion. Yong Soo cursed silently. That was when he spotted a familiar face.

"Lin Mei?!" He exclaimed. He began to approach Mei. She could not help but notice the severe limp in his right leg. As Yong Soo got closer, Mei could see hastily wrapped bandages sticking out from beneath his cracked, rusty colored stained armor.

"Im? Are you alright?" Mei asked in concern. She knew she did not have to ask. It was clear that Yong Soo was not well. His eyes were hazy and looked sunken. His skin was sickly pale, his hair was unkempt, and he carried himself awkwardly. Mei insisted on taking him to the village doctor. She helped him walk to the doctor's home. Others stared as the two went by and had almost a look of fear about them at the sight of Yong Soo.

Mei and Yong Soo arrived at the doctors. Mei knocked urgently on the door. A couple minutes passed before the doctor opened the door. He took one look at Yong Soo, and made sure to hurriedly bring him in. The doctor had Yong Soo lay down upon a cot and left briefly from the room to gather his supplies.

"You wouldn't happen to be from that camp that was here a few weeks ago?" The doctor questioned.

"I am." Yong Soo replied.

"Where are you from?"

"The Southern Kingdoms of Korea."

"I see. Now I need you to remove your armor and garments."

Mei turned away as Yong Soo began to remove his attire at the doctor's order. She did make the mistake of glancing anyway and soon wished she had not. Yong Soo had a bright red gash on a good portion of his right leg and various other cuts were spread along his arms. The doctor's eyebrows creased at the sight. "These have not been treated properly have they?" The doctor asked.

"I tried to, but I was in a hurry." Yong Soo replied.

"Exactly what happened to you?"

"We were ambushed one night." said Yong Soo and then pointed at the gash on his leg, "I got this when I got caught off guard and most of troops were killed, when I..."

"Go on."

"Retreated." Yong Soo admitted guiltily.

"And you came all the way here?"

"I had to, it was the only location of civilization that I trusted, and I thought I could get assistance."

"That was foolish young man. It's a wonder you have not died from infection." The doctor scolded. He began to dab a green substance on Yong Soo's gash. Yong Soo winced at the sting the medication brought. Then fresh bandages were tied around the wounds.

"Now just lay down for a while and rest. That is all I can do for now." The doctor said as he left the room.

Mei sat down by Yong Soo, she had a lot of questions for him. She refrained from speaking to him right away. She knew when someone's pride had been hurt. The curiosity soon overwhelmed her and she began asking him what had been bothering her for some time.

"Im, what made you come all the way here?"

Yong Soo did not answer her. All he did was glance at her, it was apparent he did not want to hear that question any longer let alone answer it again. Eventually he did speak to her.

"How have you been?" Yong Soo asked. It was an odd question considering the circumstances, so Mei did not answer Yong Soo's question either.

"Do you miss him?" Yong Soo changed the question. He had realized that she was not doing so well at all. Mei nodded in response.

"I hope you two can see eachother again." Yong Soo said oblivious to the fact of what Mei knew.

"How can I when he's dead?" Mei asked. Tears threatened to overtake her. The reminder of her loss had brought back the sorrow she had been feeling. Then Yong Soo looked suddenly surprised.

"Who told you that?" He demanded.

"The news came a week ago." She replied. Yong Soo shook his head in disbelief.

"What a lie!" He exclaimed, "Why would they say something that isn't true?"

Mei could not believe how Yong Soo could be so oblivious to the truth. It made her irritated.

"Why are you saying those things?! Stop it!" yelled Mei. Yong Soo was taken aback by her sudden outburst. He still could not comprehend why someone had told her such a lie. It was going to be difficult to explain the true circumstances of Honda Kiku's fate.

"Listen to me, they were lying to you, and I think it would be better if you knew what happened to Honda." Yong Soo silenced her. Then he began to recount what happened the night he had retreated from the battlefield.

Shortly after Yong Soo had seen Kiku receive an arrow through the shoulder, he had felt the sharp pain in his leg as an enemy sword cut through him. Filled with anger, pain, and shock he had turned around quickly to thrust his sword into the neck of the one who wounded him. Initially the pain had not been as bad, but as soon as the adrenaline rush had eased, he could feel the true severity of his injury. As he had crouched on the ground, grasping his leg. He could see one allie after the next fall to the enemy soldiers. The knowledge of staying put where he was would most likely get himself killed made him move to a more sheltered location.

As the sounds of battle began to silence, he moved slightly from his hiding place to see the results of the fight. The enemy troop had succeeded much to his dismay. Kiku who was on the ground trying to pull the protruding arrow out from his shoulder, was being slowly approached. Yong Soo knew that Kiku was not one to show how he was feeling easily, but now he could see fear overcome him as the group of enemy soldiers approached Kiku. Yong Soo could hear Kiku pleading for his life to be spared. It disturbed him that he could do nothing to aid his friend. However to his surprise he saw one of the men seize Kiku and tie up his limbs. He could hear words that sounded like Emperor and prisoner. It did not make sense that they would take a prisoner after slaughtering many others who had tried to surrender mid battle. Eventually they were out of sight and Yong Soo cautiously moved away from his hiding place. He found a surviving horse that was covered in wounds of its own. He did not care; a wounded horse was better than none.

Yong Soo finished telling his entire experience to Mei. She had listened to what he had to say, and he was grateful for that. Mei felt a feeling of mixed emotions. How should she react? All this time she had believed that Kiku was dead. What should she do now that he was most likely still alive? However, she knew what must be done, and waiting for anything would not do anything at all. If she were going to see her love again, she would have to go to him. What she would do when she accomplished such a feat was unknown, but she had to.

"This may sound crazy, but I want to do anything possible so that I may make sure that he is safe." Mei said with determination. It did sound crazy. Yong Soo had a hard time taking her seriously at first. What could this girl possibly do? She was after all, just a girl.

"I'm not trying to be offensive, but you cannot be serious. Right?"

"I am, and I will agree to the fact you are being offensive. Rest first and then I shall discuss the matter further."

Mei got up and left the doctor's building. There was a way to get Yong Soo to agree to her ridiculous idea, and it would include having to take the initiative in the matter. She arrived at her home and went into her room. She pulled out to the drawer where she hid her hunting garments. Holding up the long green top accented with gold. The memory of how she attained this came back to her when she was younger. She had seen teenage boys gloating while holding up game they had killed in the forest. Later she had seen them with sums of money from selling their catches. She recalled how accomplished they had looked, and what they received from hunting. That was when she was aspired to hunt as well. Her father had scolded her for asking about it and she had been told that girls do not partake in such activities. She had gotten upset and came upon some men's clothes that belonged to her older brother whom had passed on before she had even been born. She hid the clothing and went about to fulfill her dream to do something she wanted. It was not till she was thirteen when the clothes properly fit her; she got to go on her first hunt. She had stolen a bow and a few arrows one day when no one had been around to attend them closely at a stand. The guilt of doing so bothered her, but she knew there was no other way. It took some decent time of practice before she could send an arrow at an intended target. She remembered how good it had felt when she had taken down a large bird and when she got a good sum of money from it. The idea to travel came to mind; as a result she began saving the money she earned. All these years and know one ever caught her. The only one who knew was the shopkeeper she sold the game she got to.

Mei removed her qipao and in its place she put on men's clothing. It was like a ritual of transformation. One moment she would be just a rebellious girl, to changing to a boy. She finished buttoning the decorative buttons and proceeded to tie the golden sash around her waist. As soon as she had tightened the knot, her mother came in unannounced. All those years of hiding this side of her from her parents were now gone in one slight moment.

"Nuer, what are you doing?!" Her mother exclaimed. Mei turned her head away in shame.

"Take that off this instant!" Her mother ordered. She stormed towards Mei and tried to pull it off forcefully.

"Stop it! Leave me be!" Mei protested as she warded off her mother.

"Take those off now. Your a girl, wearing something like that brings shame to our family."

"I don't care what I am! I can wear what I want."

Her mother stopped her assault on her daughter and a look of disappointment shrouded her expression.

"I'm sorry muqin, but this is just how I am." Mei said.

"Why would you do something as shameful as this? Tell me!" Her mother demanded. She was beginning to cry.

"Like I said, it is just another part of me, and there is somewhere I must be. I certainly can't do what I want looking like a girl." Mei explained the best she could.

"If that is how you want to be, then go ahead, but you are no daughter of mine." Her mother said. Then she left the room leaving Mei alone. The fact she had been disowned so simply brought pain to her heart. Now there was only one source of happiness she was going to have, and she was going to have to go through a lot for it. Even if it meant losing the feeling of belonging that she had with her family.

Mei pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and slung it over her shoulder. Then she began to gather supplies from around the home that was hers no longer, she noticed her mother was nowhere in sight. She left the place she once called home and took a horse from the stables nearby. She looked back before riding off. That building had lost its meaning to her so quickly it seemed almost surreal. How fast something unfortunate happens.

She left the horse hidden right outside of the village and went back to it. At first Yong Soo did not recognize Mei when she came to retrieve him. When he realized whom it was he asked what she was doing.

Mei did not answer him and instead told him to relax and go along with it. She made sure to find a place for Yong Soo to stay to recover as much as possible before departing in the morning. He questioned why she did not go home. Every time he would ask, she would skip around answering. Mei had difficulties sleeping from the stress that plagued her from what had happened and what was going to happen to her.

Early the next morning, Mei attempted to arise Yong Soo from sleep. The task was much more difficult than anticipated, but then again he had been through a lot since she had last seen him. There was no chance she would leave without him. He knew where to go better than she did.

As the two began to depart from the village, Yong Soo began to bombard Mei with one question after the other.

"What about your family?"

"I don't have one any longer."

"Huh? But why?

"I don't want to talk about it."

He could not accept the fact that a girl was actually going to do something so dangerous and at such an expense on her behalf.

They were planning to follow the exact path that the military troops had taken before. There was still signs that a large group of horses had once walked there. Mei could not help but look at the new scenery that surrounded her. Throughout her entire life she had never seen the world beyond Chun-li and the forest she hunted in. The trees and underbrush that rose up on either side did not look that much different from the wilderness she knew, but it was new nonetheless. Curiosity got the better of her and she dismounted the horse. She wanted to feel the new ground for herself. Like her surroundings it did not physically feel different from the ground she had walked on before. It was all new to her and it left her with a spirit of wonder caused by the amazement that there had always been more to her small world.

"We are just going to go slower if you walk on foot like that." commented Yong Soo.

"I know that. Just let me be for now." Mei responded. She heard Yong Soo sigh with impatience. More than a mile had been covered when she decided to get back on the horse.

As they rode on further, Mei looked up and spotted two sparrowhawks flying in the sky. She watched them fly around one another. It was spring after all. The calls they let out to one another sounded alluring to her. They looked free up there, and together. Eventually they flew out of sight into the trees. Mei herself felt free now. There was only one thing missing that would make her feel that her freedom was complete.

The sky was beginning to dim when Yong Soo suggested that they find a place to stay put. They decided to venture into the surrounding woods where there was most likely a more sheltered area. Soon Mei thought she heard the crack of twigs and underbrush being stepped on. She stiffened in alert, realizing they were being followed. The noises were too loud to be made by some predator. Whatever was making that noise were definitely human and more than one. Mei slowed the horse down so that she may hear the sounds better. The footsteps were getting closer. She then brought the horse to a standstill, her hand poised over the handle of a sheathed dagger hidden beneath the concealing fabric she wore as a top.

"What's going on?" Yong Soo whispered. Mei shushed him and listened. The figures of men just on the brink of their surroundings appeared.

"I bet they have a decent amount of goods on them." One of the men remarked. They were now completely in sight. The conclusion that these were bandits came to the two of them.

"If you don't want a hard time, you boys will just hand over the goods. Whaddya say?" The leader of the bandits negotiated.

"Yeah right! Like we would give anything to you lowlifes." Mei mocked them. These kinds of people were so predictable, she knew what she was going to do.

"Why you!" The leader said angrily. He approached them swiftly wielding a shortsword and toppled Mei off the horse. Yong Soo cried out in alarm. "Gotta change of heart yet?" The leader asked as he held the tip of the shortsword close to Mei. The leader grasping her, made a little discovery.

"Hey looky here, seems this is no boy after all. Let's have some fun. Whaddya say girly?"

Yong Soo's face twisted into that of disgust, but he could not do anything fast because of his leg.

"Not at all." Mei said defiantly. Then she twisted around and used her dagger to knock the shortsword out of the man's hand. She pinned him down, holding the edge of the dagger close to his throat.

"How bout you just go along on your way." Mei said with a smirk. It was like a more violent way when she used to get into fights with the boys back home. For some reason holding someone's life like this sent a thrill through her. She felt powerful.

"Now if you don't want your boss to bite it, I suggest you get going this instant." Mei threatened. The bandits glanced at one another and began laughing. As a result Mei pressed the dagger softly against the flesh of the leaders throat.

"I see you don't take me seriously. A small line of blood appeared on the leader's skin.

"Pull back, we don't have time for this!" The leader shouted. The others obeyed and ran off, not wanting to have to go through the trouble of finding a new leader. Mei let the man get up, but not letting the proximity of her dagger to be less dangerous.

"Bitch!" The leader cursed before running off after his gang. Yong Soo and Mei watched them fade out of sight. As soon as she heard the noise of their retreat fade away completely, then she let herself relax.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Yong Soo asked. He had to admit he was impressed by her feat.

"I've had practice." Mei boasted as she wiped the tiny dots of blood from her blade.

After the atmosphere had calmed down more, they went off in search of a place to sleep for the night. They found a concealed spot of bushes and leaves. Yong Soo had drifted off immediately when he made himself comfortable on a pile of leaves. Mei stayed alert in case those bandits made the decision to make their way back for more. She kept a comfortable distance away from Yong Soo. It did not feel right to sleep next to a man that she did not know well. After all, she had to remain faithful to Kiku, even if he was not around for the time being. She found herself only sleeping briefly throughout the night, constantly waking up at the slightest noise. This was the first time she had actually been out at night in the wilderness. She had to admit that she missed the comfort of sleeping safely in her home. She was just going to have to get used to this type of life for the time being. The stars peered through the treetops and she looked up at them. Maybe this was not so bad then. She had always wondered what it would be like sleeping out under the stars. She could hear the hoots of some owl somewhere away in the distance. All birds were free. No matter what gender, birds flew where they pleased.

She listened to the noises of the nocturnal birds and looked back to the sky. She closed her eyes and then clasped her hands together and did an act she had not done for some time. She prayed. She prayed for a safe journey, the safety of her lover, and the achievement of true happiness. Part of the prayer was selfish, but she had always been that way. Of course her waking moments would cause her to think about the events that had so far happened, and what was to be. Her mind thought about how her parents were feeling now that they had disowned her. Now they had lost two children. A feeling of pity went out to them from her. Another question came to mind. When she did succeed in finding Kiku what would she do? The one who held him captive was powerful, and rescuing someone from a man like that was no easy task. What if she lost her life in the process? She shook the thought of possible death away. She could not let herself falter with such an idea. Personally she felt that if one feared death, then that made them merely a coward. She was no coward and she refused to ever become one. There was no time to be weak, and perhaps there was no time to be a woman either. The moment she donned the clothes that belonged to a man, she herself became a man. Men had always been samples of those in legends. Stories of the heroic feats that they accomplished were all she ever heard. The only thing she had ever heard about women in those stories, was that they were only the ones who gave birth to heroes, nothing more, and nothing less. That seemed the only good thing they could ever do. Hearing those stories is what had inspired her to be more than just a woman when she was young. Now she approached the chance to prove herself. The sun was beginning to rise.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed chapter two. I'm going to take this time to add more explanations concerning this story. The inspiration actually came from the Disney movie; Mulan. Of course it's much different premise of what motivates the main character to fight, but it is still vaguely similar. **

**Also this is the story that is the next step before I begin working on an original novel. To become a published author has been a dream of mine for some time.**

**See ya in chapter three.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Emperor of China, Yao Wang sat impatiently on his throne. He waited for news on the attack orders he had recently sent out to the Generals to carry out. It had been longer than a week since he last heard from them. He longed to hear of victories. So far he had been hearing about so many of those. The military power from other nations was slowly weakening, and soon it would not be long till they were all his. At last one of his advisors approached him, the look on his face told Yao that he was indeed going to be hearing of good news. The advisor bowed low before addressing him.

"Emperor Wang, the attacks to the borders of Taiwan have been successful."

"That is wonderful news. Perhaps I shall arrange a celebration!"

"There is more your eminence, something that may interest you greatly."

"And what might that be?"

The advisor signaled for a pair of palace guards to come forward. Between them was a dirty, and injured looking man. Yao's face looked unimpressed by the man they displayed before him.

"And who might this be?" Yao said with a bored tone.

"Your eminence this man is the son of one of the feudal lords of Japan."

"Is that so?"

"Yes we have the support to back up that fact. We found a feudal crest on his person."

"Then this news has been more than wonderful. Now then, what might your name be?"

The man looked up at Yao with blank, dull brown eyes. No, they were not blank in fact they were blazing with hatred. Despite his condition he was defiant. The way he glared at him held no intention of revealing his name.

"How rude! I politely ask you what your name is and you ignore me."

Yao shook his head in disbelief, but soon retained a pleasant grin.

"No matter then."

"Your Eminence this man is the son of the Honda branch. His full name is Honda Kiku"

"Honda you say? Hm, then this could quite well be the key to winning that I have been looking for all this time. I always had a hunch we would find him eventually when we heard he joined the war effort."

Yao glanced at Kiku with a bemused expression.

"Make sure that our... guest is well cared for. Go get him cleaned up. I don't want any guest of mine to be filthy while they're within my care."

"Yes, your highness it shall be seen to immediately."

Yao watched as Kiku was escorted from his throne room. What a pleasant evening it had been so far, so many wonderful things he had heard. Kiku Honda would definitely be the perfect trump card to signing the treaty with Japan. After all, the entire Honda branch was one of the closest feudal families to the Emperor of Japan. Having the son of such an important figurehead in Japan's political system would make sure the treaty of cease fire would be signed. Sure it would still be difficult to do, but the chances of the treaty being signed were much greater.

He called forth a guard to give a message to the imperial messenger so that it would go out for delivery to the capital of Japan. Yao was never one to just wait for things he wanted to happen. If something had to be done, it had to be done almost the moment it crossed his mind. Just like he could not wait to be Emperor any longer. His father would have ruled a long time, and he would have done things at a pace that was not acceptable to Yao. He had never realized how easy it was to kill his father. He never did hold any personal attachments to him, never really getting to speak to him, even though he was next in line. He had been raised by others, and taught by others. It felt unfair to him, it was not how he wanted things to happen. The greatest thing he hated was the way the empire had been run. He had to take it into his own hands to change the order and the only way to do that was become Emperor as soon as he could. Taking someone's life had been so simple. One quick jab through the heart with a sword was all it took, and in that fraction of a moment he had become powerful. He was a man not to be reckoned with. As soon as he had realized what he had become, he realized he craved more, even more power. That was all that mattered to him.

Kiku was brought to an impressive room, for a prison that is. As soon as he was inside he heard the doors lock behind him. Out of curiosity, he began to examine his surroundings. The room was rather empty, with only a simple looking bed pushed aside to the left wall. The colors red and gold accented the entire space, with mahogany brown appearing in the color scheme now and then. Approaching the octagonal window he tested the crossed wooden bars that extended through it. A few were surprisingly loose. He glanced down at the outside of the building. The way it was designed would make it simple to scale his way down if he managed to lodge an opening in the window. However that would have to wait till the ache in his left shoulder ceased. The point of where the arrow had hit him stung from slight infection due to not having been properly treated and the fact he had not been able to clean himself.

Kiku sat on the bed, his eyes gazing longingly out the barred window. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the charm that Mei had given him. He stared at it with a sorrowful expression. If he managed to escape would he be able to find her? That was the only hope he could hold on to for the time being. Then he heard the sound of the lock being opened. The door opened to a couple of palace servants and a single guard.

"We have come to make sure you are presentable for his eminence's audience. Please come with us." One of the servants said. Kiku obliged, knowing that causing trouble then would lead him to some rather unpleasant circumstances.

Mei returned to where she left Yong Soo. With her she carried two slain ducks that she had killed while they had basked near a small pond nearby. The thought of how she could cook them came to mind. In the past she had caught so many game animals, but she had never actually did anything else besides selling them. Preparing and cooking them was out of her league. She did not even know how to start up a fire to cook them over. As she approached Yong Soo she noticed that he appeared as if he had just awoken.

"What's that?" He muttered sleepily.

"I think I'm going to call this one breakfast and the other dinner." She joked. "By the way... do you know how to cook?"

After Yong Soo had become more awake he set to preparing the ducks and creating a fire. Mei had brought him some kindling to him, and soon with a few tricks he had learned in his training, they had a small fire going. As they waited for the duck to roast, Mei set about to applying the medication to Yong Soo's gash. It was still quite red, but it did appear less inflamed as it had once been. When she finished the task of applying the ointment, she wrapped up his leg with fresh wrappings. Yong Soo muttered his thanks and tended to the duck, which was beginning to give off a rather delicious smell.

"It looks like it's getting better. Your leg that is." Mei commented, trying to start up a conversation.

"Well it certainly doesn't feel any better." Yong Soo muttered. It bothered him not to be able to walk when he wanted to. If he did manage to walk, it was uncomfortable. With bitter remorse he wished that it could just heal by some sort of miracle. Being disabled was just too frustrating.

After breakfast, Mei got the horse some water from the pond she had found earlier. Once that was taken care of, she came back to Yong Soo and helped him onto the horse's back. It was not entirely easy. He was rather heavy. Mei directed themselves back to the road and continued down it.

Most of the day had passed with silent interaction, until Yong Soo finally spoke up.

"We should be nearing the border soon."

"Well we aren't going to get there today." Mei noted, while she pointed out the sky that was already beginning to dim.

"We need to find a more secure shelter." Yong Soo warned.

"Why?"

"Look at the sky, there are some dark clouds coming this way. The last thing I need is to get soaked."

Mei directed the horse off the road. The area they had decided to stop at was not as forested as earlier. In the distance was barren land as far as the eye could see, with large rocks jutting out of the ground and a few cluster of trees spread throughout the landscape. The scenery where they were at had also become a lot more rocky, so it was not surprising to find a rock formation that would make a decent shelter. No sooner had they gotten themselves fairly comfortable and secure that the first rumble of thunder passed overhead. Soon a flash of lightning accompanied it, and then came the heavy rain. The loud noises from outside unsettled Mei, she had never liked storms.

Luckily for them a fire was not needed to cook, Yong Soo had dried out the meat from the other duck earlier, making for a quick dinner.

"How long do you think this will last?" Mei asked fretfully.

"Who knows? It's hard to predict." Yong Soo said.

Mei looked out into the curtains of rain, accented by white flashes. It was a rather violent storm, and she felt fortunate they had found a safe place to be throughout it.

The best thing to happen is that the storm would be cleared up by the morning. Mei did not want to be held up in any way.

Kiku found the foreign clothes he wore, to be rather unsettling. They did not feel right on him at all. His situation was also unpleasant. His captor treated him with hospitality, but he knew it was all for show. It was doubtful that the Emperor cared at all. He knew about the treaty that Japan kept rejecting. If Japan ever became neutral, then China would lay claim to all its neighboring nations. Most of them would put up a decent fight, but in the end they would all be overwhelmed by China's superior military power.

Now Kiku found himself forced to attend a feast with a man he despised. What surprised him was the fact that they were alone except for a handful of guards and servants.

"Come sit, before the food gets cold." Yao called out welcomingly.

That was one thing that confused Kiku, the Emperor seemed so pleasant, and cheerful. However, he knew what that man was perfectly capable of, even if he was young for an Emperor.

Kiku sat down politely and remained keeping his back as straight as he was able to, his shoulder kept aching if he sat up completely straight.

"Please help yourself, there is plenty to go around."

Kiku did so, but with as much control as he could. He could not deny that he was famished. Once he felt satisfied he stopped and sat in further silence.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself." Yao said happily.

"Thank you, but may I go now?"

"Of course you may."

The guards came forward towards Kiku. He got up and followed them back to his room.

As soon as Kiku was out of sight, an advisor decided to consult with Yao.

"Are you sure you should be spoiling your prisoner this way your eminency. It may lead to him thinking you are too relaxed, and he may take advantage of that to escape.

"Aiyah! You're so uptight aren't you? I know what I'm doing so stop fretting. Believe me, if he does try anything, he will get a good taste of what happens to those who cross me."

"I apologize for doubting you. Please forgive me your highness."

"Apology accepted. Now what's for dessert?"

The storm had lasted a good part into the morning till it finally cleared. Mei felt a build of impatience as she had waited for it to go away.

She knew it was unlikely, but surely there was some form of game animal somewhere around the area. Yong Soo was still fast asleep. He was such a heavy sleeper for one who was in the army.

Mei collected her supplies and went out into the open. Everything was glistening with water from the rain. The way the sun reflected off of everything made it all shimmer. It was a rather enchanting sight to see.

Mei headed off to where the trees were closer together. Animals would most likely be there to hide. It soon turned out she was right and managed to catch a fairly large rodent. She felt satisfied with the catch and made her way back.

That was when a twig snapped. She froze, but she could not hear anything else, but she swore she felt something staring at her. It had been said that there were many large predators who had been constricted to the outer reaches of the wilderness. She hoped whatever it was, it was not one of those. She stepped lightly, and constantly turned her head to look everywhere around her. The feeling of being watched was not going away.

As she was about to make it to where the trees were farther apart she saw something spring out of the shadows. She dropped to the ground quickly, and in the process everything she had caught sprawled out everywhere. The attacker had barely missed her and landed some distance away. She sprung to her feet and readied her dagger. Bright blue eyes focused on her. The attacker was a very large white tiger.

She could feel her heart beating fast from fear. Tigers though graceful and beautiful, were in fact dangerous and skilled hunters. It would be insane to try to fight it. The safest bet would be to climb up somewhere high and out of reach. Mei leaned down and picked up a rock beside her and flung it over the tigers shoulder. The tiger glanced to see what had been thrown at it. This small action gave Mei plenty of time to scurry up the nearest tree. It roared at her from below and growled, it was angry. Then it did something she did not expect, it began to climb up. She could see the large claws digging into the bark of the trunk of the tree. One swipe from those, and it would all be over for her. She faced the pursuing tiger with her dagger in hand. The tiger held no fear at the sight of the weapon. It was just getting closer. Any moment it would be upon her. There was only one last thing she could possibly do. She threw the dagger as hard as she could directly at the tiger. The tiger roared in pain as the sharp object embedded itself within its shoulder. It fell to the ground, and began to whimper. It was not trying to get up apparently it was in too much pain.

Mei cautiously made her way down to the ground and approached the animal prepared to end its life. After all it was just like any other animal, and she had killed them many times before. As she got closer she could swear its eyes looked desperate and pleading. Its bright white fur was stained with red, and its muscular frame was twitching in agony. Mei felt pity towards it. She did not know why. It had just tried to kill her, but she could not bare to see such a beautiful predator in such a pathetic state.

The tiger was getting weaker from its wound, and was beginning to move less and less. Mei knelt by the dying tiger's side and braced herself and tugged the dagger out of its flesh. The tiger let out a roar from the pain. Those blue eyes were hazed but they still had such intensity to them as they looked at her with something that looked like it was begging for its life to be spared. She could not refuse such a desperate look, and she gave the tiger the rodent she had caught earlier.

"Here, I hope you get better."

The tiger sniffed at the rodent and looked back up at her questioningly.

"Go ahead, consider it a peace offering."

She could not believe she was talking to a tiger in such a way. She watched with curiosity as the tiger tore into the offering hungrily. It was now that Mei noticed the tiger was not as healthy and strong as she first thought. With a closer look, it appeared thinner than a tiger should be, and she knew she felt its ribs when she pulled out the dagger. The poor thing had probably been starving, and may actually be afraid of humans. It was a rather sad affair.

Mei then got up to leave and hoped that it just might recover. She looked at it one last time before returning to camp.

"Hey, where's breakfast?" Yong Soo asked.

"I didn't catch anything, deal with it." Mei retorted.

Yong Soo sighed with irritation. He noted that she had been doing something at least. Her clothes were stained and he could see a couple of tears on them.

Mei went about to treating Yong Soo's gash for the day, but when she reached into the satchel the medication was not there.

"What's wrong?" Yong Soo asked.

"Um well it appears I may of somehow lost that medicine earlier." She admitted. She let out a guilty laugh and waited for him to get mad.

"Oh well, like I needed that stuff anyway. I'm sure it will be fine, I don't need it anymore." He gloated.

"If you say so." She responded.

"Well let's get a move on shall we."

They packed everything up and went back to the road. That day would be the final stretch to the border. From there they would find somewhere to hide out in China.

As they made their way along, they were not aware that that they were being followed.

Eventually they made their way to the spot where the surprise attack had taken place all those days ago. Mei noticed that Yong Soo was staring at it with remembrance. She could not comprehend how truly traumatizing the events he had seen were.

It was not long till they came across the first signs of civilization. There was a small village in the distance Staying at a place like that seemed like a good change of pace to the alternative of sleeping outdoors.

Before entering the town, they made sure to hide Yong Soo's armor. After all, it would have been unwise to wear such attire in enemy territory.

On the outskirts there was an inn. Even though Mei did not want to, she put up with sharing the same room because it was much cheaper. Yong Soo had insisted that Mei would get the bed. However she did not want to hear any of it with Yong Soo being in the condition that he was in. She had been sleeping on the ground for the past few days anyway, and a wooden floor was not going to be much of a difference.

Leaving Yong Soo behind, Mei went out into town to collect supplies. The smell of dumplings nearby enticed her, she could not help but purchase some. Skipping breakfast had been taxing and she barely managed to contain herself from saving any for her companion. She then got herself some more arrows, considering most of her supply had scattered from the attack earlier that morning. The only downside was that she could not find the medication that Yong Soo had been using. She convinced herself that perhaps he would be fine without any.

Mei returned to the inn with her arms full of goods.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mei apologized.

"Don't worry, it gave me plenty of time to sleep."

She gave him the dumplings she had saved. Other than that and other small exchanges, they sat in relative silence.

Mei was aware the two of them were not in the best of cleanliness. It did bother her. Perhaps they would come across a bathhouse at some point. Even a decent body of water would suffice. Or she could go ask the innkeeper right away. She excused herself from the room and went to find the innkeeper. As it turned out there was actually a small bathhouse in the town. She thanked the innkeeper for his information and went out once again.

She returned sometime later in the night feeling refreshed. She knew that maybe she could have invited Yong Soo, but the pursuit of a bath had made her too preoccupied. Though it did make her feel guilty she had forgotten about his needs.

When she came back into the room she found him already in the bed snoring away. She sighed and got herself comfortable. It was going to be a long night that was certain.

Yao sat in his quarters working on a painting. Painting was the only way he could pass the time when he felt there was not much to do. He wished that he could hear the status of the treaty at that moment Of course that was impossible considering how much time had passed since he had first had it delivered. Though he had heard some form of news. China's troops were making decent progress in slowly overpowering the nations south of China.

Yao's empire was growing even more, and it pleased him greatly. The only downside was all the unnecessary fighting. He could not understand why the other countries just would not give up right away. That way he could take over simply and peacefully. What was so difficult about accepting his rule?

All he wanted was an equal rule for everyone. Equality, what was so bad about it? Just pure equality for all, and Yao could provide it. If they were going to fight then so be it. Soon all would succumb to his equal rule. It was only a matter of time.

Yao leaned back from his work in progress to admire it. A simple lovely flower was upon the canvas. It would have to do for the moment; he could come back to it later.

He made his way to the window, there was a storm coming in the distance. What a shame, it felt like it was going to be such a lovely night. The thought of taking advantage of it came to mind.

He exited his chambers and went to a balcony to star watch. The different constellations strewn out across the black canvas was such a magnificent sight. He wished he could sleep out under them, but it was a pointless wish. One of the many who served him within the palace was going to find him and interrupt.

He made his way back inside and then he heard the thunder. A flash streaked by the window, turning everything white. Such a powerful storm, it seemed tyrannical, but the rain it brought would rejuvenate life. That was the wonder of it all.

However as grand as it was it kept Yao from sleeping. He went back to the painting and decided to complete it to preoccupy himself with the promise of sleepless hours.

The thunder rattled the bars on the window of Kiku's room. It was such a violent storm. The damage that it was going to cause, was going to be a considerable amount. Especially the damage it would cause to those wooden bars. It was no use to close the shutters; they would only get flung open.

All he could do was drag the bed further away from the window that was letting the rain come in. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. In his hand he clutched the charm, and holding that took away the distraction from outside. Sleep meant the dreams would come. In those dreams he would be able to see her face once again.

Bright blue eyes stared at a small village from a distance. A large white tiger lay out by a cluster of trees. He was waiting, waiting to see that human again. That one girl had proven herself to him and now there was something of great importance that he had to tell her. Perhaps something that could change the entire outcome of things to come.

The tiger stretched himself out and lay his head onto his paws. He wondered when he was going to get the chance though. Hopefully he would get that opportunity soon. Now all he had to do was wait for now for the human girl to be alone again.

If he never got the chance to speak with her, then the consequences would be dire.

He made the decision his current location was not as hidden as he liked so he lifted himself up and moved deeper into the protection of the trees.

The tiger looked up at the sky, the stars light reflected off his eyes. It looked all clear for now, but he knew that soon another storm would come.

When it did, it would be much fiercer than the one that had passed over recently. He had seen all the different kinds of storms that warring men brought before. Each storm was unique in its ferocity

Lost in thought, he lay himself down once again.

He was aware it was not his kind's way to pick sides, but since one of had already broken that taboo he did not see any problem with his assertion in the whole matter.

How bad of a storm could he, Baihu bring?

* * *

**I'm so terribly sorry about the long wait. I got a bit distracted from getting this edited even after it had been finished for some time. Well it is here now though.**

**I must say that writing stores for the Southeast Asian characters is rather interesting. I get to do all kind of research. This may be a fantasy universe but I am trying my best to tie in real life aspects. Pretty much the only differences in this story is that the geographical setup is different. For example, Taiwan is not an island nation in this world. **

**Another difference is that all the history is not real at all. However I am influenced by the older military ways of the nations in this story.**

**It's also entertaining to write Wang Yao as the antagonist. I love writing him like that while at the same time keeping his personality without ruining it to making him some sadistic psycho.**

**Well I hope you enjoyed the latest installment and reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**(Extra note: Just a small warning... Yao has a harem in this story so there is going to be more mature themes in the future.)**


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